New copolymers and articles



United States Patent 3,332,920 NEW COPOLYMERS AND ARTICLES Keith Jasper Clark, Welwyn Garden City, and Michael Edward Benet Jones, Hitchin, England, assignors to Imperial Chemical Industries Limited, London, England, a corporation of Great Britain N0 Drawing. Filed Oct. 10, 1963, Ser. No. 315,346 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 18, 1962, 39,478/ 62 15 Claims. (Cl. 26088.2)

This invention relates to new copolymers and articles.

In our copending applications Nos. 22,695/61 and 43,034/ 61 we have disclosed our discovery of transparent polymers of 4-methyl-pentene-1 and of transparent articles made from this polymer. We have now found that certain copolymers of 4-methyl-pentene-1 with certain other a-olefines can also be transparent under suitable conditions, and that such copolymers also have certain advantages over homopolymers of 4-methyl-pentene -l.

According to the present invention we provide solid transparent copolymers of 4-methyl-pentene-l with minor amounts of propylene or butene-l. We further provide a process for the manufacture of a solid transparent copolyrner of 4-methyl-pentene-1 with a minor amount of propylene or butene-l wherein 4-methyl-pentene-l and propylene or butene-l are polymerised in the presence of a stereospecific catalyst (as hereinafter defined) and the polymer obtained is de-ashed using dry reagents to reduce its ash content to less than 0.1% by weight and preferably to 0.02% by weight or less. It is a particular feature of the present invention to provide transparent copolymers of 4-methyl-pentene-1 containing between 0.5 and 20%, and preferably between 0.5 and 10% by weight of butene-l monomer units. It is a further particular feature of the invention to provide transparent copolymers containing from 0.5 to 7% and prefer-ably not more than by weight of propylene monomer units.

The copolymers of our invention are solid crystalline polymers which contain the repeating units CH3- 0 H- 0 H in,

.where R is either a methyl or an ethyl group, and are further characterised by melting points in the range 220- 245 C., densities between 0.83 and 0.88 and melt flow indices (measured by ASTM method 1258-57T using a 5 kg. weight at 260 C.) between 0.01 and 1000.

In the term copolymer we include the products of both random and sequential polymerisation. In general, below about 95% by weight 4-methyl-pentene-1 content, clarity decreases and haze increases with decreasing4- methyl-pentene-l content of the copolymers.

In this specification, the word transparent when used of polymers, shall be taken to mean capable of being transformed by a melt-shaping, process into articles of which an thick section has a degree of clarity of at least Grade 1 (as hereinafter defined) and a degree of haze of Group 1 (as hereinafter defined); when used of articles, the word transparent shall be taken to mean having in /a" thick section a degree of clarity of at least Grade 1 (as hereinafter defined) and a degree of haze of Group 1 (as hereinafter defined).

Overall impressions of transparency depend on two factors: clarity and haze. We define clarity as the ability to transmit light from distant objects without scattering.

, It is produced by forward scattering at small angles particularly within 05 of the incident beam. When the clarity is perfect, the sharpness of outline and resolution of detail of distant objects viewed through parallel sided specimens are unaffected. For measuring clarity we use the following method.

A sample is prepared of thickness. To eradicate scattering at surface scratches or imperfections, thin lass plates are stuck to the surfaces of the sample with olive oil (which has a refractive index close to that of the copolymers of our invention). Through this sample, using a fived observation distance of 1.5 metres, a series of charts each consisting of equal width black and white lines arranged vertically, horizontally and diagonally are used. The line widths in the series are 1.0, 0.6, 0.24 and 0.175 millimetres, corresponding to angular resolutions of 0.038, 0 .029, 0.0092 and 0.0067 (semi-angle). Tests are carried out in a dark room. The charts are illuminated at the most suitable brightness which is found to be about 500 candles per square metre. The sample is held close to one eye and the chart with the smallest spacing that can be resolved is noted and compared with the finest spacing that can be resolved in the absence of the sample. The results can then be expressed in terms of the loss of angular resolution due to the introduction of the sample between the eye and the charts and are independent of the limiting resolution of the eye of the observer.

For the purposes of this invention we distinguish four degrees of clarity. The clarity of mouldings from any particular sample of polymer depends not only on the conditions employed in preparing the polymer sample, but also on the conditions employed in making the mouldings.

The four degrees are:

Grade I: Loss of 0.0200 (semi-angle) resolution or less Grade II: Loss of 0.0100 (semi-angle) resolution or less Grade III: Loss of 0.0025 (semi-angle) resolution or less Grade IV: No loss in visual resolution.

We define haze as the degree of scattering at high angles to the transmitted beam. Haze causes turbidity and hence reduction in contrast. To measure it,the intensity of light scattered from semi-angles of 2 /2 -90 to the incident transmitted beam is integrated and coinpared with the total transmittance (09 0) of the sample.

We employ the method described in the American Society for Testing Materials publications ASTM Standards on Plastics, 11th edition, 1959, as method No. 1003-59T.

In the polymers and articles of our invention we distinguish four degrees of haze.

Group 1: 0-45% haze Group 2: 030% haze Group 3: 0-15% haze Group 4: 05% haze The haze in a moulding, like the clarity, depends on both polymer quality and moulding conditions.

To prepare transparent polymer having the highest possible clarity and the lowest possible haze by the process of our invention, two things are essential; that a high proportion of the catalyst residues should be removed from the polymer produced, and that the polymer should not be allowed to come into contact with water until the catalyst removal process is at an end. For convenience in manipulating the polymer it is preferred that it should be produced in the form of an easily handleable slurry rather than a sticky gel. The important feature of ar easily handleable slurry is that it is separable, that is, one in which the liquid can be removed from the solid phase by mechanical means. Separability is important because in the 'de-ashing process, the catalyst residues are made to dissolve in the liquid phase; if this cannot be separated catalyst residues tend to remain in the polymer and trans parent material is not easily obtained (of course, if the 3 slurry is separable, the original liquid phase may be removed and the polymer can be re-slurried and de-ashing carried out in a difierent medium from that in which polymerisation took place). Methods which may be used to separate the two phases in suitable cases include centrifuging, filtration, washing with other liquids, decantation, or any combination of these processes. Where a slurry is thick and difficult to separate because it contains too high a proportion of suspended solids, separation is made much easier by dilution. If however, a thick slurry contains more than about 10% of its total polymer content dissolved in the diluent, it will generally not be possible to render it separable by dilution.

The following are the principal factors which aifect the separability of a polymer slurry:

(l) The temperature of polymerisation and of separation (2) The nature of the catalyst (3) The nature of the diluent.

Each of these conditions must generally be adjusted to obtain a separable slurry. Increase in temperature of polymerisation increases the proportion of atactic polymer formed, and also gives rise to isotactic polymer of lower molecular weight, which dissolves more readily it all temperatures and particularly at the higher temperature at which it is formed. Provided stereospecific catalysts are used, the highest temperature at which a separable slurry can be obtained is that at which the isotactic polymer begins to be swollen by the diluent, or to dissolve in it to an appreciable extent.

Subject to the desirability of producing a separable slurry, one usually wants to polymerise at as high a temperature as possible, because the rate of polymerisation is then faster. The higher the temperature of polymerisa- :ion, the lower the molecular weight of polymer produced; obtain polymer grades of higher molecular weight it may therefore be necessary to use temperatures below zhose which give the best rate consistent with separability. The molecular weight of the polymer formed may also 36 reduced, if desired, by the addition of certain polymarisation modifiers, notably hydrogen, to the reaction nixture.

There is no possibility of obtaining a separable slurry it all unless a stereospecific catalyst is employed. By a stereospecific catalyst we mean one which under the :onditions used in polymerisation in this invention will :olymerise propylene to polymer which is at least 70% nsoluble in boiling heptane. It is well known that mixures of transition metal compounds and organometallic :ompounds are in general effective for the polymerisation )f u-olefines. However, unless the catalyst used in our nvention has a stereoregular action which gives rise to a ufficiently high proportion of isotactic polymer it will end to produce intractable gels instead of separable lurries. Generally, the more stereoregular the action of he catalyst, the higher the maximum temperature which nay be used in polymerisation. It will not generally be iossible to predict what catalysts are stereospecific and [nder what conditions; trial experiments must be made vith each catalyst which it is proposed to use. In our referred process for polymerisation below we describe W0 particularly useful catalysts, but our invention is not imited to the use of these.

The nature of the diluent affects the temperature at IhlCh the isotactic polymer will begin to be swollen by 1e diluent or to dissolve in it appreciably. Suitable iluents include petroleum ether (B.P. 6080), a petrol TaCtiOII boiling between 180 and 220 C., toluene, chloroenzene and 4-methyl-pentene-l itself. Each of these iluents Will give, in suitable circumstances, separable lurn'es at temperatures at least as high as 45 C.

A slurry which contains dissolved in the diluent a con- :ntration of not more than of the polymer content a readily separable, and it is slurries of this kind that 'e prefer to use in our invention. Such slurries may readily e obtained by our preferred method of polymerisation,

that is, by polymerising at about 40 or below, using a diluent which may be a high boiling petrol fraction, petroleum ether of boiling point 60-80, or 4-methylpentene-l itself and using as catalyst an aluminum dialkylchloride in combination with either the crystalline material obtained by reacting aluminum metal with excess titanium tetrachloride at a temperature between and 220 C. and separating unreacted titanium tetrachloride from the product; or a material obtained by reducing titanium tetrachloride by adding it gradually to aluminum alklyl sesquichloride in a hydrocarbon medium with stirring in an inert atmosphere at 0 C., heating the slurry obtained slowly to C., holding it with stirring at this temperature for four hours, cooling it, separating the precipitate obtained and washing it wit-h a liquid hydrocarbon. It is particularly advantageous to use a catalyst prepared by the reduction of titanium tetrachloride in a hydrocarbon medium by adding aluminum alkyl sesquichloride thereto gradually over a period. The catalyst prepared in this way gives better slurries with higher contents of suspended polymer than the catalyst prepared by adding titanium tetrachloride to aluminum alkyl sesquichloride.

Polymerisation is carried out in the substantial absence of air and water. Nitrogen is often used to purge the apparatus beforehand. Many different techniques are available for copolymerising the monomers. Under the conditions normally used in polymerisation, 4-methyl-pentene-l is a liquid (boiling point 54 C.) while propylene and butene-l are gases. Truly random copolymers of homogeneous composition subject only to random variation, may be made by passing in both the liquid and the gaesous monomers at predetermined rates so that the concentration of both monomers in the reaction mixture is constant throughout. Random copolymers may also be made by beginning polymerisation with a large amount of 4-methyl-pentene-l (which polymerises more slowly than either of the other two monomers) and passing in the gaseous monomer at a fixed rate throughout. In this way the copolymer initially formed may be slightly richer in 4-methyl-pentene-l than that formed later, but the eifect is not large. Sequential copolymerisation may be carried out by polymerising 4-methyl-pentene-1 while passing in the gaseous monomer for short periods at spaced intervals; this procedure may give rise to polymer mole cules containing blocks of 4-methyl-pentene-l homopolymer joined by blocks of random copolymer of 4- methyl-pentene-l with propylene or butene-l. Finally, sequential copolymerisation may be carried out by polymerising successively pure monomers; this may be done by polymerising one monomer for a period, then removing all unreacted monomer from the polymerisation system (for example) by pumping it off under low pressure) and adding the second monomer and repeating the process. This procedure may give rise to polymer molecules containing successive blocks of homopolymer of the two monomers.

De-ashing of the polymer slurry obtained by polymerisation is carried out using dry reagents; if reagents containing water or aqueous extraction processes are used the polymer obtained shows an undesirable blue haze and may not be transparent. De-ashing may be carried out in two main ways. One is by adding a small quantity of reagent to the slurry, digesting for a period at a moderate temperature, e.g. between 40 and 60 C., followed by filtration and washing with more de-ashing reagent or hydrocarbon or mixtures of the two. The other is first to separate all or most of the polymerisation diluent from the polymer produced and to re-slurry the polymer one or more times in de-ashing reagent. In the first process the most suitable types of de-ashing reagents are the hydrocarbon-miscible alcohols such as butanol, the higher alcohols such as nonanol and isodecanol and higher acids and amines such as n-nonoic acid and 3,5,5,trimethylhexylamine. Particularly effective are mixtures of alcohols with complex-forming carbonyl compounds, such as iso propanol mixed with acetylacetone. In the second process it is of particular advantage to use the lower alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, because of their cheapness. Suitable de-ashing procedures are further described in reduction of TiCl by adding it to ethyl aluminium sesquichloride as hereinbefore described). The temperature of the flask was raised to 40 C. and butene-l was passed into the flask slowly at a precalculated rate. Five British patent application No. 43,034/ 61. 5 further additions of 40 ccs. 4-methyl-pentene-1 were made 5 Finally the de-ashing reagent or wash liquid may be at hourly intervals. Polymerisation in this fashion was separated from the polymer by filtration or centrifuging continued for 6 hours; then the flow of butene-l was followed by evaporative methods if it is of low boiling stopped and the reaction allowed to continue without point, e.g. if it is methanol or a low boiling petroleum further addition of monomer for another 18 hours. The ether. If it is not low boiling, e.g. if it is a hydrocarbon 10 reaction was then killed by adding 100 ccs. of a mixture liquid of high boiling point, it may be separated by filtraof equal volumes of isopropanol (dried by the Grignard tion or centrifuging or washed from the polymer by a method) and acetylacetone (dried over calcium sulphate). low boiling liquid which in its turn may be separated b The slurry obtained was transferred under nitrogen to a evaporation. An alternative method for removing quantid -ashing apparatus and there filtered and washed three ties of the wash liquid after filtration or centrifuging is tim s with a mixture of equal volumes of isopropanol steam distillation followed by drying the polymer. Final alcohol and Petroleum ether and then twice With P removal of a low boiling wash liquid may be satisfactorily lellm ether alone- The P y Obtained accomplished by such methods as passing a gas (preferwas finally dried in an oven at 70 C. overnight. For each ably for safety an inert gas such as nitrogen) through a Sample of P y thus Obtained two compression cake of polymer particles on a filter, a centrifuge or a mouldings Were made, using a Pressure of 20 tons/Square fluidised bed, and in an evaporative extrud inch for 5 minutes at 265 C. One of these was quenched Because of the optical and mechanical properties of y removing it from the Press before it had ceeled the polymers of the present invention they are very suitand Plunging it Water; the Other Was eoeled able for manufacturing into bottles, for use for example '35 rapidly as Possible in the P y, haze, and in the f d t ff cosmetics and Pharmaceutical indus total light transmission experiments were made on each tries. Manufacture of the articles of our invention using mouldmg- The perfientage P butene'l in each Polymer our polymers may be carried out by a variety of known sample was determined by mfra-red methods Results are techniques, eg extrusion, injection moulding, compresshgwn m lf I g iompared Wlth i i sion moulding, powder coating, blow moulding and 3 5 1: 3; 0 y prepared by sumlar methods such as that of British specification No. 821,634. In each case to obtain maximum transparency the hot EXAMPLE 4 article should be cooled rapidly from the molten state by h procedure f Examples 1 was f ll d except some Suitable Process, in the Case of pr i n that propylene instead of butene-l was passed into the remoulding by withdrawing the hot article from the mould action mixture. Results are shown in Table I below.

TABLEEI Comonorner (percent Clarity Haze, Trans- Example by weight) Moulding Grade percent mission, percent Blank {eastern-.11; IV 11% if 1 Enamel (16%) --{%8fe(ii25;a's::: W 3:? 3% 2 Butene-l(8.1%) Quench g-g a Butane-16.7%) 2g 4 Pmpylene (1-493) "{Cooledinpress IIIIV less brittle than the homopolymer, while certain other copolymers show less difference in the optical properties of quenched and unquenched mouldings.

The transparency of the copolymers of this invention is remarkable in view of the fact that blends of transparent poly-4-methyl-pentene-l with as little as 1% by weight of polybutene-l are only poorly translucent.

The following examples illustrate our invention but do not limit it in any way.

EXAMPLES 1-3 For each example, a l-litre flask was carefully dried, and purged of oxygen by passing nitrogen through it. In it were placed 40 mls. 4-methyl-pentene-1 together with 2-00 mls. of a high boiling petrol fraction. As catalysts were added 30 millimoles aluminium diethyl chloride and 10 millimoles titanium trichloride (prepared by the EXAMPLES 5-7 Bntene-l and 4-methyl-pentene-l were sequentially polymerised by the following technique. A large flask was carefully dried and purged of air by passing nitrogen through it. In this flask were placed 400 mls. 4-methylpentene-l mixed with 600 ccs. of a high-boiling petrol fraction, together with 40 millimoles aluminium diethyl chloride and 18.5 millimoles titanium trichloride (obtained as in Examples 1-3). The temperature of the reaction mixture was raised to 30 and polymerization began. After about an hour and a half, when some of the monomer had polymerised, the remainder was pumped off under high vacuum into a cold trap. Then about 3 grams of butene-l dissolved in 50 ccs. of the high-boiling petrol fraction was added to the reaction mixture and allowed to polymerise in its turn, at the same temperature. Again, after a period of about an hour, unreacted monomer was pumped 01f; this was followed by purging the reaction vessel with nitrogen and then returning 4-methylpentene-l to the reaction mixture from the cold trap. Ir Examples 6 and 7 this butene-4-methyl-pentene cycle was twice repeated. De-ashing was carried out as in Examples 1-3 (using suitably larger quantities of reagents). From each sample of polymer two mouldings were produced and measurements were made on these as in Examples 1-3.

Results are shown in Table II.

TABLE II Number Percent by Haze, Trans- Example of Blocks Weight Moulding Clarity percent mission,

Butane-1 Butane-1 percent 1 4 4 {Quenched IV 4. 3 88 Cooled in press IV 12. 5 74 3 4 6 {Quenched IV 1.6 89 Cooled in pres IV 3. 2 72 3 4 8 {Quenehed IV 1. 0 90 Cooled in press IV 4. 9 59 EXAMPLES 8-11 A three-necked flask of 2 litres capacity equipped with a stirrer and connected to a reservoir of liquid butene, was carefully dried and purged of air by passing nitrogen through it. 1 litre of 4-methy1-pentene-1 was then placed in the flask and stirred for a period under nitrogen at C. Butene was then passed into the flask from the reservoir which was fitted with a constant pressure valve, enabling a constant pressure of butene to be maintained in the flask. Catalyst was then added (36 millirnoles aluminum diethyl chloride and 12 millirnoles TiCl prepared y adding ethyl aluminum sesquichloride to TiCl as liereinbefore described). Polymerisation continued for three hours at 20 C., the butene-1 pressure being main- :ained constant throughout. The reaction was stopped by adding to the flask a mixture of 40 mls. dry acetyl-acetone and 80 mls. dry isopropyl alcohol. A further 250 mls. dry isopropyl alcohol were then added to dilute the slurry, and the mixture was left to stand for some hours. Ihen the mixture was heated to 50 C. and transferred to de-ashing apparatus in which catalyst residues were :luted at a temperature of 56 C. with a mixture of 3 rolumes dry isopropyl alcohol with 1 volume dry petroleum ether, the final treatment being with dry isopropyl alcohol alone. The polymer recovered was dried, and mouldings were made as in Examples 1-3. Details at polymerisation and results of tests on the mouldings are shown in Table III below.

by weight of butene-1 monomer units, and having an ash content of less than 0.1% by weight and a melting point of 220-245 C.

6. A shaped transparent article of the copolymer of claim 5.

7. The copolymer of claim 1 having an ash content of less than 0.02% by weight.

8. A process for the manufacture of a solid transparent crystalline copolymer of 4-methyl-pentene-1 with between 0.5 and 7% by weight of propylene monomer units or with between 0.5 and 10% by Weight of butene-1 monomer units, said process comprising (a) polymerising the 4-methyl-pentene-1 and the propylene or butene-1 in the presence of a trivalent titanium halide/aluminum dialkyl halide catalyst in an inert diluent to produce a separable slurry of said copolymer in said diluent, and thereafter (b) separating the copolymer from said diluent and (c) de-ashing the copolymer with dry reagents until the copolymer ash content is less than 0.1% by weight, whereby the copolymer is transparent.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the temperature of polymerisation is not above about 40 C.

10. A process as claimed in claim 8 which is carried out using excess 4-methyl-pentene-1 as liquid diluent medium.

11. A process as claimed in claim 8 wherein the ash content of the copolymer is reduced to less than 0.02% by weight.

TABLE III Percent Clarity Haze, Trans- Example Butene-l pressure Yield, g. Butane-1 Moulding Grade percent mission, percent J'Quenehed 0. 5 93 313 80m n press IIIIV 78 uenc e 94.5 305 7 gooledl 11 press 14.-. s 32 uenc e .3 88 0 80 Hg 299 11 Cooled in press IIIIV 5. e 77 1 60 for 30 mins. 256 12 {Quenched V 16 62 then 105. Cooled in press IIIII 17. 5 68 12. We 01 a 1m: A process as claimed 1n claim 8 wherein as de 1. A solid transparent crystalline copolymer of 4- nethyl-pentene-l with a member selected from the group :onsisting of propylene and butene-1, said copolymer con- :aining between 0.5 and 7% by weight of propylene nonomer units or between 0.5% and 10% by weight of autene-l monomer units, and having an ash content of .ess than 0.1% by weight, said butene-l/4-methyl-pen- :ene-l copolymer having a melting point of about 220 :0 245 C.

2. A solid transparent crystalline copolymer of 4- nethyl-pentene-l containing between 0.5 and 7% by weight of propylene monomer units.

3. A shaped transparent article of the copolymer of :laim 2.

4. A copolymer as claimed in claim 2 containing not rnore than 5% by weight of propylene monomer units.

5. A solid transparent crystalline copolymer of 4- nethyl-pentene-l containing from between 0.5 and 10% ashing reagent is used .an alcohol, or a mixture of an alcohol and acetylacetone.

13. A process as claimed in claim 12 wherein the alcohol is methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol or nonanol.

14. The process of claim 8 including a final step of subjecting the copolymer to a melt shaping process to form a shaped, transparent article of said copolymer.

15. The process of claim 14 wherein the shaped article is readily cooled from the molten state by quenching with water.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,957,225 10/1960 Welch et al. 260-93.7 3,029,215 4/1962 Campbell 26O-88.2 3,098,845 7/1963 Cull 26094.9

JOSEPH L. SCHOFER, Primary Examiner, L. EDELMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SOLID TRANSPARENT CRYSTALLINE COPOLYMER OF 4METHYL-PENTENE-1 WITH A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PROPYLENE AND BUTENE-1, SAID COPOLYMER CONTAINING BETWEEN 0.5 AND 7% BY WEIGHT OF PROPYLENE MONOMER UNITS OR BETWEEN 0.5% AND 10% BE WEIGHT OF BUTENE-1 MONOMER UNITS, AND HAVING AN ASH CONTENT OF LESS THAN 0.1% BY WEIGHT, SAID BUTENE-1/4-METHYL-PENTENE-1 COPOLYMER HAVING A MELTING POINT OF ABOUT 220 TO 245*C.
 8. A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A SOLID TRANSPARENT CRYSTALLINE COPOLYMER OF 4-METHYL-PENTENE-1 WITH BETWEEN 0.5 AND 7% BY WEIGHT OF PROPYLENE MONOMER UNITS OR WITH BETWEEN 0.5 AND 10% BY WEIGHT OF BUTENE-1 MONOMER UNITS, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING (A) POLYMERISING THE 4-METHYL-PENTENE-1 AND THE PROPYLENE OR BUTENE-1 ING THE 4-METHYL-PENTENE-1 AND THE PROPYLENE OR BUTENE-1 IN THE PRESENCE OF A TRIVALENT TITANIUM HALIDE/ALUMINUM DIALKYL HALIDE CATALYST IN AN INERT DILUENT TO PRODUCE A SEPARABLE SLURRY OF SAID COPOLYMER IN SAID DILUENT, AND THEREAFTER (B) SEPARATING THE COPOLYMER FROM SAID DILUENT AND (C) DE-ASHING THE COPOLYMER WITH DRY REAGENTS UNTIL THE COPOLYMER ASH CONTENT IS LESS THAN 0.1% BY WEIGHT, WHEREBY THE COPOLYMER IS TRANSPARENT. 